Looking for some recommendations for taking classes. I am 61 and in good shape and have never had any type of martial arts instruction. Quite a few disciplines out there. I would like to find something I can stick with and get a good workout. The older I get I seem to want to get away from the weights and do more movement stuff.
Something along the lines of Taekwondo etc.... is probably to hard on the knees at our age, but the skill sets taught are invaluable when/if needed if you can not leave a situation.
The link is to some of the more fluid movement practices.
If you had Van Damme's career, you'd be doing Tostitos commercial, too. And if you had Segal's reputation, you'd probably be bingeing on those same Tostitos. He's like Brando without the acting talent.
I would say the best cardio would be at an MMA gym with Muy Tai and Jujitsu but if you want something slower pace then a form of Karate would be good. Also check out Krav Maga if you have a class nearby as from what I read it can be useful in real life.
I can't imagine getting back into Judo and Sombo, and getting slammed on the mat several times a week or having my shoulders dislocated again. That was hurting me when I was 43. That would definitely, today, rule out MMA and Jujitsu for me.
Rowing machine is like running on a treadmill, can't do that. Read some good things about krav maga and Jujitsu for older folks. Guess it would depend a lot on the instructor.
Jiu Jitsu is legit but no way am I spending any time with my head near some dude's crotch. And, apparently, one needs a tolerance for spending quite a bit of time so engaged.
A person can do countless exercises with TRX or resistance bands and a few door anchors. I have a squat rack with a plethora of anchors. I use bands for heavy resistance (isometrics), HIIT, stretching and toning. I can hit any muscle from almost any angle and never grow bored doing it.
Whatever you do never stop lifting the iron or cables or whatever you may do for strength training especially the core section which connects the top to the bottom. Incorporate both and involve stretching exercises, which you should be doing anyway if you are lifting, and that which Martial Arts requires.
At 61, strength training is critical to maintain a good and solid foundation for overall health and well being.
My older brother practices Krav Maga. He just turned 66. I'm thinking about looking into it at 62 years of age...I never have had any real formal training. Just some boxing and basic judo from my dad as a kid...My brother tells me that KM is a pretty good work out and practical too...
It depends on what you want out of Martial Arts. If you are looking to take MA for self defense, about any style will do. There are those folks out there that will say one style is better than the other. BS All styles have their weakness. Pick one you like and don't worry about your age. You will be starting out as a no obi (no belt or rank) and working yourself up from there.
Mixed MA's are great for the younger crowd, but I will be blunt, it will be a tough road ahead at 61. Even in good shape, that's a lot of trauma to ask of your body. Again ask yourself, why put your body through that (look at the beating some of the winners of MMA bouts take). You willing to take an elbow to the face, repeated kicks to knees, placed in any of the arm or shoulder locks, or be put to sleep?
If you are looking to take MA for the physical benefits you may want to try a sport karate style. If you opt out of the sparring and stay with Kata or forms you get all the physical benefits of the sport without taking the pounding. The draw back is sport karate is not that great for self defense.
Other low impact styles are Tai Chi, Aikido, Chi Gung. Not a MA per say but if you are looking for a good work out, Billy Banks' old Tae Bo tapes will work well. It is a mixture of Tai Kwan Do and Boxing. Great low impact work out.
If you could find a Systema (Russian Martial Art) school look at that closely. The whole system is based on freeing mind and body of tensions fear etc,. Vasiliev or Ryabko styles in particular. If I had to do it over I would chose this style.
My best advice is to go to a local school and talk to the sensei. Ask if you can watch a class or two and take one or two to see if you like it. If the school is worth their salt, this should not be a problem. You can make your decision from there.
I am 59+ and have been teaching and studying Karate and Aiki jutsu for many years. I cannot do what I did 15 years ago. We will never be 21 again. Be the best 61 you can be. Martial arts is a personal journey, you will find your toughest opponent is yourself.
Interesting discussion. I have been thinking about this for a couple of years. I'm considering BJJ....I wrestled in high school and I have always like the grappling disciplines. I have good friends in the business though and my path of least resistance is going to be Kenpo Karate.....and they beat each other silly in that discipline too. Not sure I want that.....but I'm in pretty good shape even though it is very one dimensional. I'd like to do something else on top of what I do now.
Thanks all, not really looking to get in the ring :) maybe some light sparring. Just looking for something I've never done before and might stick with.
I'm a sensei (nidan) in karate. At higher levels, when it is assumed you will be older, the discipline requires less physical strength. That is why you start learning martial arts at a younger age. At your age, it might be advisable to find a reputable tai chi or bagua instructor. They don't have written certification or belts, so you have to ask about their 'lineage'. But make no mistake, taught correctly these are more than excersize; they are definitely martial arts. (Although I was a black belt, it was only after years of serious study of tai chi and bagua that I was able to break cement slabs.) A 62 year old man who is a beginner, will almost certainly be prone to injuries in things like judo, taikwando, grappling, and especially krav maga.
I'm sure that's good advice Bluetick but I always have to learn the hard way......no Tai Chi for this old guy. I out did a bunch of people 1/2 my age this morning for an hour and a half.........I'm not gonna give into this old age thing easy.
SA,....Kyle would know about this as he hails from that area..... The Claude Dallas story has it that Bill Pogue the game warden said to Claude Dallas a poacher and trapper at the bottom of the rim out in the ION region near Nevada when he confronted Dallas, that he was taking him in. Dallas refused to go and Pogue said as he exposed his sidearm " I can take you out easy or take you out hard". Dallas himself was strapped up with a side arm and shot Pogue dead and his deputy who was also there. He then walked over and put two shots into their heads as a trapper might, as smoke was rising from their chest wounds. He claimed it was self defense and the head shots were mercy killings. Not for nothing but he beat murder one and two and was convicted of manslaughter. The jury said if he did not place the head shots they would have acquitted Dallas of all charges....anyway..
So...as far as giving in..."You can do so the easy or smart way, or the hard way". At 61 be smart and take heed of the analogy and stick around a while longer..... ;-)
Well, I do yoga and carry, but would like to try something new. Bluetick, why would Krav Maga cause injuries? I read one article that said that would be a good choice for older folks.
For those who carry ask yourself this. If I was attacked RIGHT NOW what would I do. If you don't have your weapon on you or it is holstered or out of reach, what do you do? You are distracted (reading Bowsite) and have one maybe 2 hands on your phone, computer etc., -- You lose.
I practice many disarms and defenses against weapon attacks. If your attacker has a pistol and is ~5 ft or more away, he owns you. He can pull a trigger faster than you can move to cover that distance to disarm or get off line of the weapon. Please be realistic folks.
In full disclosure, I do carry when I am able but there are many places you can't. Airplanes, work, federal buildings, schools etc. Pistols are super effective but not the end all of self defense. Should you need to use a pistol, we all know the legal jungle that ensues, justified defense or not.
For those who carry ask yourself this. If I was attacked RIGHT NOW what would I do. If you don't have your weapon on you or it is holstered or out of reach, what do you do? You are distracted (reading Bowsite) and have one maybe 2 hands on your phone, computer etc., -- You lose.
I practice many disarms and defenses against weapon attacks. If your attacker has a pistol and is ~5 ft or more away, he owns you. He can pull a trigger faster than you can move to cover that distance to disarm or get off line of the weapon. Please be realistic folks.
In full disclosure, I do carry when I am able but there are many places you can't. Airplanes, work, federal buildings, schools etc. Pistols are super effective but not the end all of self defense. Should you need to use a pistol, we all know the legal jungle that ensues, justified defense or not.
Well, at 62 years of age if I start taking KM classes it won't be to use those skills in a ring or something. I don't anticipate competing or even becoming accomplished enough to claim to be competent in the KM techniques. The primary reason to look into it is mostly for conditioning and helping to keep reflexes in tune. If in the off chance I get into a scuffle, the training can only help, but I don't think at my age I will ever be a street fighting machine...I already use a heavy bag on an almost daily basis. I am strictly a single dimensional user of same in that I throw various boxing punches, but little else. So, the KM or something like it will just be a way of learning new moves in the conditioning department...Haven't decided to do it. Signing up for classes and everything is a scheduling issue I haven't figured out yet...